Another safety? Packers bringing in a top prospect for a pre-draft visit

Q: Why are the Green Bay Packers interested in A.J. Haulcy?

The Packers are interested in A.J. Haulcy to address their defensive struggles, particularly their inability to create turnovers last season.

Q: What are A.J. Haulcy's college statistics?

A.J. Haulcy recorded 10 interceptions and forced four fumbles over 48 games during his college career at LSU.

Q: Who else is on the Packers' safety roster?

The Packers currently have Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, and Kitan Oladapo on their safety roster.

Per NFL rules, the Green Bay Packers are allowed to host up to 30 draft-eligible players (excluding “local” prospects, such as those in the UW system or nearby regional schools such as Northern Illinois) for in-person visits. The Journal Sentinel is tracking the visits and supplying profiles based on information from sources and published reports.

GREEN BAY – It’s no secret that the Green Bay Packers didn’t do a good enough job taking the ball away last season.

Maybe that’s why they have interest in LSU safety A.J. Haulcy, who goes by the nickname, “Mr. Give Me That.”

Haulcy, who got the nickname in high school and lived up to it in college, corralling 10 interceptions and forcing four fumbles in 48 games, is making a pre-draft visit to the Packers, according to Packer Report.

The Packers are loaded at the safety position with Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Kitan Oladapo.

LSU safety A.J. Haulcy makes an interception against Texas A&M.

Haulcy, however, fits the mold of the third safety defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is known for using in his “big nickel” package.

Despite having the build of a box safety, the 5-foot-11½, 215-pound Haulcy was active in coverage at LSU. After transferring from Houston, where he was an all-Big 12 selection and led the conference in interceptions (five), he posted eight interceptions and 12 pass breakups over his final two seasons.

“The way I play football, I’m very instinctual and intelligent, and I want fans to know that I love the game,” Haulcy told the school’s website. “I come in every day knowing this is all I’ve got. This is my last one, and I’m going to use everything I know every time I step on the field.”

Bullard, who can play the slot as well as safety, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds coming out of Georgia. Williams ran it in 4.6, but he had a 40½-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-6 broad jump.

Haulcy isn’t build the way Bullard is to play man coverage, but as someone floating around looking to punish people in the run game and swipe some passes over the middle, Haulcy might be the kind of player who can have an impact.

A.J. Haulcy is a hard-hitting safety who created a lot of turnovers.

Despite being a punishing hitter, he didn’t miss much playing time and didn’t commit any penalties as a senior.

There are four or five safeties who likely will go ahead of him, but Haulcy could be available in the second or third round. Though the Packers don’t need another safety, they do need more physical players on defense.